Growing Together - Manhattanville

Growing Together
An Update on Community Services, Amenities, and Benefits of
Columbia University’s Manhattanville Campus in West Harlem
September 2013
Letter from
the President
Dear Friends and Neighbors,
Like cities themselves, universities exist so that a diversity of
people can come together to live and work in a dynamic environment that is open to new ideas and new opportunity. Being in
and of the City of New York is central to Columbia University’s
identity and mission.
As we contemplated how to develop a long-term plan for
addressing the space needs of students and faculty engaged in
teaching, learning, and the pursuit of new knowledge that benefits
society in the 21st century, we were dedicated to smart, sustainable
growth that also benefits our city and local community. This is our
commitment—to grow together.
Now, after a decade that has included hundreds of meetings
between Columbia and the local community and completion
of New York’s rigorous Uniform Land Use Review Procedure
(ULURP), we can see our shared future taking shape in Manhattanville. Five years since beginning pre-construction and
infrastructure improvements, I am glad to present an update on
our progress. In addition to a report on construction activity, the
pages that follow detail the University’s commitment to delivering
the expanded community services, amenities, and benefits to our
neighbors that are so essential to this endeavor. These add to the
breadth of health, education, cultural, and economic partnerships
and programs that Columbia and the community have maintained
for many years.
To be certain, this multi-decade development of an environmentally sustainable urban campus characterized by its open design,
green spaces, and retail amenities meant to be shared by all still
remains in its early stages. But we have laid a strong foundation
for ongoing collaboration between and mutual benefit for both
university and community. From our focus on the most advanced
clean construction techniques, to our track record of developing
the capacity of minority, women, and locally owned businesses,
we are proud of the work we are doing and the progress we are
making together. As a university committed to public service, we
look forward to continuing to refine and enhance these collective
efforts in the years to come.
Lee C. Bollinger
President, Columbia University in the City of New York
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For the latest information on construction updates,
community programs, and more information, please visit
campusplan.columbia.edu.
Introduction
Columbia’s long-term plan for an environmentally sustainable and publicly accessible
center for academic and civic life in the former Manhattanville industrial zone covers
four blocks, from 125th/129th to 133rd Street between Broadway and 12th Avenue, and
three smaller blocks along the east side of Broadway, from 131st to 134th Street.
Over the decades ahead, the Manhattanville campus will create a
new kind of urban academic environment that will be woven into
the fabric of the surrounding community. We are already seeing
signs of progress: for example, completion of a major storm sewer
upgrade (improving the health of the Hudson River and water
management in the community) and recognition of the Manhattanville campus neighborhood plan with LEED-ND Platinum
status—the first such neighborhood plan in New York City and the
first campus plan in the nation to receive this highest designation
for “green” building. Such smart growth will not only ultimately
generate new local jobs and opportunity but also ensures that
Upper Manhattan remains a center for knowledge, creativity, and
solutions to the world’s most pressing challenges.
This report provides an update on amenities and benefits the
University has committed to providing under the Declaration
of Covenants and Restrictions and the Community Benefits
Agreement (CBA) with the West Harlem Development Corporation over the course of the project, as well as an update on
construction progress. Columbia embraces these commitments
fully, and they reflect the many ways in which the University
and local community have joined together to improve the quality
of health, education, culture, and civic life in Upper Manhattan
for many years. From working with more than one hundred
local nonprofits and community agencies through Columbia
Community Impact, to spurring health initiatives that seek to
reduce asthma in children and decrease the rate of diabetes among
local African-American and Latino families, the University works
in a wide variety of ways with its neighbors.
When completed, the Manhattanville campus will have a one-acre open space as well as active ground-floor space in the buildings along Broadway, 125th Street, and 12th
Avenue. The first building, slated to open in 2016, will be the Jerome L. Green Science Center, housing the Mortimer B. Zuckerman Mind Brain Behavior Institute.
Opposite page: Small square looking east at Jerome L. Greene Science Center, west elevation.
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Community Services
Columbia University has a long tradition of civic engagement by its students, faculty, staff,
and alumni, who provide numerous direct services to city residents through hundreds
of local partnerships and programs and play leadership roles in public service and the
professions, the arts, and the sciences.
Under the Declaration, the University committed to providing
significant financial resources to various organizations for the
community to administer and meet community-identified needs.
Since 2008, nearly $25 million has been provided, and over
the next couple of decades, more than $150 million will be
provided to meet community-identified priorities.
Housing Legal Assistance
In connection with the Manhattanville project,
Columbia University currently provides funding to
Manhattan Legal Services, a member of the Legal
Services NYC network, for an attorney to assist
residents of the Manhattanville area needing antieviction/antiharassment legal services. Manhattan
Legal Services provides these services at its office at
1 West 125th Street, second floor. Beginning in
January 2015 and continuing through 2030, the
University will provide funding for two attorneys to
serve Manhattanville residents needing housing legal
services. If you need legal assistance with a landlord/
tenant issue and reside in the Manhattanville area,
contact Manhattan Legal Services at 212-348-7449
or visit its local office at 1 West 125th (125th Street
and Fifth Avenue).
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For the period 2008 to July 2013:
Commitment
Recipient of Funds
Paid to Date
Affordable Housing
Fund
In escrow with the
City of New York
$10,000,000
Community Benefits
Fund
West Harlem Development
Corporation (WHDC)
$9,750,000
Community-Provided
Job Training
In escrow with Empire
State Development
Harlem Community
Development
Corporation (HCDC)
HCDC
$1,025,000
Medical Technician
Training Program
CUNY
$200,000
Teachers College
Demonstration
Public School
Teachers College
Community School
$877,500
West Harlem
Piers Park
New York Parks
Department
$2,455,218
Total
$24,407,718
$100,000
campusplan.columbia.edu
Children and Youth
As an institution of higher education, the University is committed to helping young
people have a bright and promising future. As such, Columbia provides a wide range of
services to children and youth in the local community.
Undergraduate Scholarships for Columbia
College and Columbia Engineering
Since fall of 2010, Columbia has provided at least 40 annual needbased undergraduate scholarships to local, aid-eligible students.
Once students are admitted to Columbia College or The Fu
Foundation School of Engineering and Applied Science, the Office
of Financial Aid and Educational Financing evaluates each student
individually in order to determine his or her financial need.
Undergraduate Scholarships for Local, Aid-Eligible Students
Academic Year
No. of Scholarships Awarded
2010–2011
48
2011–2012
41
2012–2013
42
Two New Public Schools
In partnership with the NYC Department of Education, Columbia
has been instrumental in opening two new public schools in
Community Board 9 to support the academic growth of young
people in the local community—the Teachers College Community
School and the Columbia Secondary School for Math, Science,
& Engineering.
Teachers College and the NYC Department of Education
opened the Teachers College Community School in September
2011. It is a nonselective school that utilizes its close relationship
with Teachers College to provide comprehensive educational
services. The Teachers College Community School began in 2011
with a kindergarten class and when fully enrolled, the school
will serve approximately 300 children in pre-K through 8th
grade. More information can be found at www.tc.columbia.edu
/communityschool.
The Columbia Secondary School for Math, Science, &
Engineering (CSS-MSE) is a selective public, 6th through 12th
grade school that opened in the fall of 2007. Through partnership
between the New York City Department of Education, the
community, and Columbia University, CSS-MSE provides a
rigorous and demanding program, offering opportunities for
students to engage in research and service learning at Columbia and
in the city. Beginning with a founding 6th grade class, the school
will add one grade per year until it reaches its full enrollment of
650 students. The first high school class will graduate in June 2014.
More information can be found at www.columbiasecondary.org.
For more information on Columbia Undergraduate Scholarships,
contact the Office of Financial Aid & Educational Financing at
212-854-3711.
The Teachers College Community School opened in 2011 and when fully enrolled
will serve approximately 300 children in pre-K through 8th grade.
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Cubs Camps Scholarships
Columbia’s Cubs Camps offer children ages 6 through 12 a range
of supervised activities including sports, games, and arts and crafts.
In total, 125 Cubs Camps scholarships—25 scholarships annually—have been offered to children who live within Community
District 9, in a process managed by the West Harlem Development
Corporation. Each one-week scholarship enables a child to engage
in activities and events with adult supervision. One week at Cubs
Camps would otherwise cost at least $400 per child. For more
information, visit www.westharlemdc.org.
High School Internships for the
Local Community
Columbia University provides paid summer internships for high
school students from the local community or attending the
Columbia Secondary School for Math, Science, & Engineering.
The Columbia University Local Community High School
Summer Internship Program is a structured, five-week initiative
that provides students with practical work experience before
graduation. Since 2010, 51 local students have participated in the
program. Students from the 13 zip codes comprising the Upper
Manhattan Empowerment Zone and from 4 zip codes in the
Bronx Empowerment Zone are eligible to participate. Those zip
codes are 10025, 10026, 10027, 10029, 10030, 10031, 10032,
10033, 10034, 10035, 10037, 10039, 10040, 10451, 10454,
10455, and 10474.
Summer Internships for Local High School Students
Year
Number of Internships
2010 (Pilot Year)
6
2011 (Year 2)
6
2012 (Year 3)
24
2013 (Year 4)
15
For more information on summer high school internships, call
the Employment Information Center at 212-851-1551.
Mobile Dental Clinic for Children
Columbia University College of Dental Medicine supports a fully
equipped Mobile Dental Center that travels to more than 70
local day care centers, elementary schools, and Head Start centers
throughout northern Manhattan and the Bronx during the school
year. The Mobile Dental Center offers children, ages three to five,
comprehensive dental care, serving about 3,000 children each
year. Services include dental exams, cleanings, fluoride treatments,
X-rays, oral health education, and referrals for free or low-cost
health insurance. Children requiring specialty services are referred
to affiliated Columbia University and other community-based
dental clinics located throughout Washington Heights, Inwood,
and Harlem. For more information on the Mobile Dental Clinic,
please contact the School of Dental Medicine at 212-305-1045.
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The Mobile Dental Center serves about 3,000 local children every year.
Course Auditing and Life Long Learners Programs will
begin in the fall of 2013. For more information, visit
www.columbia.edu/cu/gca/news
/CourseAuditingandLifelongLearning/index.html
Adults and Seniors
Transportation
In 2009, Columbia University began providing free shuttle service
to seniors, those with disabilities, and their attendants. Since then,
Columbia has provided the free shuttle service for travel to and
from subway stations at 96th Street and Broadway, 116th and
Broadway, 125th Street and Broadway, Columbia University
Medical Center at 168th Street, and Harlem Hospital Center.
Flyers with information about the shuttle have been distributed to
Community Board 9, Manhattanville and Grant Houses, and the
offices of local elected officials. The shuttle bus service runs on a
regular schedule throughout the day every weekday, except on state
and federal holidays, and is meant to complement, not replace,
existing MTA service. The shuttle bus schedule can be found at
http://transportation.columbia.edu.
Manhattanville Continuing Education
Auditing Program
Beginning in September 2013, 50 members of the local community
became eligible for free auditing of courses, with 25 of those
members coming from Manhattanville and/or Grant Houses.
The Auditing Program provides adults not currently enrolled in
college with the opportunity, free of charge, to audit selected classes
and lectures drawn from the University’s offerings in the Arts and
Sciences during the academic year. Auditors are encouraged to
attend classes and to keep up with the reading. No examinations
or papers are required, and no grade is assigned. Auditors will also
have access to Columbia Libraries and services at campus cafés
and the University Bookstore, and they may take advantage of
cultural discount programs in New York City offered to other
Columbia students.
ElderSmile
For more than four years, ElderSmile at Columbia’s College of
Dental Medicine has been providing much-needed dental screening to older persons living in Upper Manhattan communities.
Experienced dental school faculty, assisted by students, staff the
ElderSmile program. Those who need more in-depth dental care are
referred to ElderSmile treatment centers. Dental care professionals
visit senior centers to provide patient education and screening.
ElderSmile provides important care to those more vulnerable to
serious dental conditions and related diseases such as diabetes,
heart and lung diseases, and stroke.
For more information on the ElderSmile program, please contact
the School of Dental Medicine at 212-305-1045.
Manhattanville Scholarship Program
for Lifelong Learners
Also in September 2013, Columbia University expanded its
Lifelong Learners Program to include up to 50 members of
the local community, with 25 of those members coming from
Manhattanville and/or Grant Houses. The Lifelong Learners
Program provides an opportunity for individuals over 65 and not
currently enrolled in college to audit select lectures and courses
drawn from the University’s offerings in the Arts and Sciences
during the academic year, at no charge. First launched in 1986 in
partnership with the Brookdale Institute on Aging and Human
Development, Columbia’s School for Continuing Education runs
the Lifelong Learners Program.
Community Scholars
As part of its commitment to the community in connection with
the Manhattanville campus expansion, Columbia established
a Community Scholars Program to offer adults from northern
Manhattan access to Columbia University services and resources.
The Community Scholars Program supports and facilitates the
work of individuals toward the completion of a particular project
or toward attaining skills in a specific area of interest. In 2013,
the inaugural cohort of scholars will be made up of five local
residents—each with a three-year appointment—enabling them
to pursue their lifelong learning aspirations. For more information,
e-mail [email protected].
Columbia University provides free shuttle service on most weekdays.
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Minority, Women, and Local Businesses and Workforce
Columbia has made a significant commitment to the minority, women, and local (MWL)
construction contracting and workforce community. The University has committed to
significant MWL goals throughout the course of the project: MWL construction trade
contracting goal of 35 percent and MWL construction trade workforce goal of 40 percent.
Working with construction contractors and the building trades, Columbia is working to
enhance the role MWL firms and workers play in building the new campus.
Construction Contracting
Construction Workforce
From August 1, 2008, through December 31, 2012, Columbia
paid $35,705,669 to MWL firms—that’s 56.8 percent of total
construction spending (excluding specialty construction services*
and related construction materials). Of that figure, $29,705,060
was paid to local companies.
From August 1, 2008, through December 31, 2012, the MWL
construction workforce delivered 197,998 hours worked—that’s 67
percent of the total workforce hours under construction contracts
and subcontracts for the construction of the new Manhattanville
campus (excluding specialty construction services* and related
construction materials). Of the 197,998 MWL construction
workforce hours, local workforce performed 44,143 hours.
*Please see page 15 for further information on specialty construction.
For information about job opportunities contact:
Harlem Office of Community Employment
Dr. Sandy F. Ray Building
63–65 West 125th Street, 3rd Floor
(between Lenox and 5th Avenues)
New York, NY 10027
hotline: 646-276-0979
tollfree: 888-990-9675
e-mail: [email protected]
Columbia’s MWL construction contracting and workforce program is managed by McKissack & McKissack, the oldest minority- and women-owned construction
management firm in the nation. For more information on Manhattanville contracting and workforce opportunity, contact McKissack & McKissack at the phone numbers,
address, or e-mail given above.
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campusplan.columbia.edu
Since its inception, the MWL Certificate/Mentorship Program has had 80 firms graduate, obtaining more than $90 million in contract awards from the City of
New York and Columbia University.
MWL Certificate/Mentorship Program
In January 2008, Columbia University and the New York City
Department of Small Business Services (SBS) began a 5-year
construction trades mentorship program designed to enhance the
construction knowledge of MWL contractors and help strengthen
their business capacity. In the second year of the program, the
Columbia School of Continuing Education joined the partnership
to provide rigorous academic training and honor the graduates
with a Columbia certificate.
Along with technical assistance provided by SBS and the
Columbia-Harlem Small Business Development Center, the participants in the program had an opportunity to compete for Columbia
and New York City construction contracts. Participants engaged in
networking opportunities with key project managers as well as city
and University leadership. By the fourth year, the program expanded
to include four corporations, BNY Mellon, Con Edison, Goldman
Sachs, and National Grid. Each company held sessions at their
facilities and introduced the participants to key project staff.
Columbia Employment Information Center
Columbia University has an Employment Information Center
at 3180 Broadway, just south of 125th Street, offering a variety
of employment services and training programs that can help
individuals obtain meaningful work at Columbia or elsewhere
in the community. The Center is an access point for applying for
open positions at the University as well as receiving job search
assistance and participating in training programs.
The public is invited to visit the Employment Information
Center and learn more about employment opportunities at
Columbia. During business hours, Monday through Friday,
9 a.m. to 5 p.m., the staff is available to answer questions and
share information about construction activity and employment
opportunities. Walk-ins are welcome or appointments can be
made. The Center offers a 24-hour hotline at 212-851-1551 that
provides general information about the Center, information
on Columbia job opportunities, construction activities, and
construction-related job opportunities.
The Center also offers a series of in-person workshops and
online training programs. In-person workshops focus on preparing job seekers and include résumé and cover letter development,
interview skills, job search strategies, and dressing for success at
an interview. Online training topics include communications,
business and personal development skills, sales and customer
service, leadership, desktop software, and other areas. To register
for an in-person workshop or an online training program, please
call 212-851-1551 or visit http://community-jobs.columbia.edu
for more information.
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Community Outreach
Columbia University meets on a regular basis with local residents and organizations to
update the community on the development of the Manhattanville campus.
The University partners with the West Harlem Development
Corporation (WHDC) and Community Board 9 to host
information sessions where local community members can learn
about the Manhattanville development and its associated activities
and amenities. During the most recent session in April 2013, more
than a hundred community residents attended and were able to
speak with representatives from Columbia, the Community Board,
and the construction firms working at the site to learn more about
the development and opportunities for minority, women, and
local businesses and individuals. Attendees were also able to meet
representatives from trade unions and pre-apprenticeship programs,
such as Nontraditional Employment for Women, the Edward J.
Malloy Initiative for Construction Skills, and Helmets to Hardhats,
and learn about programs that train New Yorkers with the skills
necessary to access careers in the building and construction trades.
Columbia meets regularly with WHDC and Community
Board 9 to provide the community with information and updates.
Columbia also regularly updates local elected officials, both through
their WHDC board representative and with periodic briefings.
The University also held information sessions where minority-,
women-, and locally owned (MWL) construction firms could learn
about upcoming bid opportunities at the Manhattanville campus
development. Businesses had the chance to meet the construction
managers and project team members working on the development
and to speak with representatives from New York City business
assistance organizations such as the NYC Department of Small
Business Services, NYC Business Solutions, and the ColumbiaHarlem Small Business Development Center (SBDC).
In addition to the commitments under the Declaration and the
CBA, the University also supports and engages with the local
community in a number of other ways, some of which are detailed
in the following sections.
More information is available at www.neighbors.columbia.edu.
Columbia University holds information sessions and open houses to help keep the community informed of construction progress as well as contracting and job opportunities.
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campusplan.columbia.edu
Additional Ways the University and Community
Are Working Together
Columbia-Harlem Small Business
Development Center
Since its inception in 2009, the expert advisers of the ColumbiaHarlem Small Business Development Center (SBDC) have worked
with nearly one thousand businesses, helping them to invest more
than $6 million in the area’s economy and create or save nearly
300 jobs. The SBDC helps its clients on many fronts, such as
understanding the importance of a business plan, discovering
sources of funding, preparing for e-commerce, identifying avenues
for exporting goods and services, developing marketing plans,
assessing an invention’s viability, and complying with licensing and
regulations. With support from partners in the public and private
sectors, the services of the SBDC are free of charge. For more
information, please visit gsb.columbia.edu/sbdc.
Columbia Community Business Program
The Columbia Community Business Program (CCBP) supports
the growth and development of for-profit businesses in Upper
Manhattan. The program offers participants access to Columbia
University’s resources for technical assistance, entrepreneurial
education, and professionally facilitated peer learning. Among other
services, CCBP also offers benefits such as enabling participation
in peer learning sessions, individual coaching sessions, meeting
with a seasoned business coach, the opportunity to learn from
Columbia faculty members and alumni with expertise in a wide
range of business areas, and the opportunity to develop a strategic
business plan by the end of the first year and begin to execute
that plan in the second year. The program is open to established
businesses headquartered in New York City, with preference given
to businesses located in Upper Manhattan that generate at least
$250,000 in annual revenues. For more information, please visit
gsb.columbia.edu/entrepreneurship/affiliates/columbiacommunity.
Columbia Community Impact
Columbia Community Impact (CI) creates opportunities for
nearly one thousand University students, along with faculty and
administration, to volunteer with 25 community service programs,
ranging from youth education to homelessness assistance. Through
partnerships with more than one hundred community organizations
The West Side Campaign Against Hunger, a recipient of a Columbia Community
Service grant, supports neighborhood residents with food and nutrition programs.
and agencies, Community Impact at Columbia University serves
more than 8,000 people each year, providing food, clothing, shelter,
education, job training, and companionship for local residents.
Community Impact fosters meaningful opportunities for students,
staff, and faculty of Columbia University to provide high-quality
programs for the community and instills the importance of
life-long service. For more information, please visit
communityimpactatcu.org.
Columbia Community Service
Being a good neighbor by assisting local nonprofit organizations is
an important part of Columbia’s mission. Columbia Community
Service (CCS) is one of the oldest organizations on campus—a
fund generated by donations from Columbia, Barnard, and
Teachers College employees that supports more than 50 local
nonprofit organizations serving the Upper Manhattan community.
From music schools to food pantries, from day care to senior
services and health and wellness programs, CCS provides
ongoing support to a broad range of organizations. With the
University covering all administrative expenses, 100 percent of
the contributions goes directly to services. For more information,
please visit communityservice.columbia.edu.
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For the past several years, Columbia and its Manhattanville campus development construction partner Lend Lease have worked together to help beautify
and restore gardens around the community. As part of the most recent project at Grant Houses garden on West 125th Street just west of Amsterdam
Avenue, volunteers cleaned, raked leaves, planted flowers, painted fences, repaired benches, and framed a gravel walkway leading into the garden; in
addition, they used wood to build a stage, planter boxes, and community banner holders. The revitalized Community Senior Reading Garden will serve as
an open area that encourages seniors and children to gather at the garden, read, play, and utilize the stage to recite poetry and conduct puppet shows and
small performances. This site was selected by Columbia and Lend Lease in cooperation with the West Harlem Development Cooperation, New York City
Housing Authority, and the Grant Houses Tenants Association. Other projects include Jenny’s Garden at Riverside Park and the garden located on West
152nd Street next to the Wilson Major Morris Community Center and across the street from the Dance Theatre of Harlem. “Those of us at Columbia
working and building every day in the neighborhood appreciate the opportunity to give back with our labor and a passion for community improvement,”
said Philip Pitruzzello, vice president of Manhattanville Development Group at Columbia University.
Columbia Double Discovery Center
The Double Discovery Center (DDC) of Columbia College was
founded in 1965 by a group of Columbia students, alumni, and
faculty to engage the Harlem community and promote a mutual
understanding between the campus and its neighbors in northern
Manhattan. Its two federally funded programs, Upward Bound and
Talent Search, target students at risk of not completing high school
or entering college, offering them academic, career, college, financial
aid, and personal development services year-round with the goal
of increasing the rate of high school graduation, college entrance,
and college completion. Upward Bound offers assistance to nearly
200 high school students both year-round and through a six-week
summer residential academic program on campus. Talent Search
serves students in grades 7 to 12 with after-school programs and
weekend field trips during the regular academic year and with fulltime programming over the summer. Annually, 90 percent of high
school seniors participating in Double Discovery graduate from
high school on time and enter college the following fall semester,
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far surpassing city, state, and national outcomes for low-income,
first-generation college, and minority students. For more
information, please visit ddc.college.columbia.edu.
Columbia Community Partnership for Health
The Columbia Community Partnership for Health is an initiative
of the Irving Institute for Clinical and Translational Research,
Columbia University Medical Center, and NewYork-Presbyterian
Hospital, serving as a resource to the community for health
information in an effort to address the challenges of inadequate
health literacy—a major public health challenge. The Center
provides a bilingual health information library for community use,
computers with free Internet access to health-related information,
interview/exam rooms for research purposes, and a conference
room for health promotion and disease prevention lectures, forums,
discussions, and other related events. The Center is open to all
community residents, free of charge. For more information, please
visit irvinginstitute.columbia.edu/resources/community_engage.
campusplan.columbia.edu
Construction Update
The University is utilizing best practices in environmentally sustainable construction
and design in various phases of the Manhattanville construction and is committed to
reducing the impact of construction on the environment and local community. Beginning
in August 2008, with pre-construction, Columbia took a creative approach to increase
recycling of building materials, help train women and young people in green construction
skills, improve the storm sewer system benefiting the entire local community, and utilize
innovative methods of decreasing noise and dust.
At the core of the construction activity is a commitment to
maintain a safe environment—for the construction workers and
for the surrounding neighborhood. Following is an overview of
construction progress and programs.
Comprehensive Safety Program
Every construction firm working at the Manhattanville construction site is required to have extensive safety plans, and safety reviews
are conducted daily. Construction management firms have safety
officers on site, and Columbia has retained its own safety consultant
office as well. Columbia’s work has led to innovative practices on
site; for example, the Manhattanville construction site is the first in
New York City to use a common sense yet innovative deployment
of netting to add greater protection for construction involving high
climbs for workers.
LEED Platinum Status for Manhattanville
Campus Neighborhood Plan
Columbia University’s environmentally sustainable design
and overall project plan for its Manhattanville campus in
West Harlem has earned LEED-ND Platinum under the rating
system established by the U.S. Green Building Council—its
highest designation. This is the first LEED-ND (neighborhood
development) Platinum certification in New York City and the
first Platinum certification for a university campus plan nationally.
LEED, or Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design, is
the top program for buildings, homes, and communities that
are designed, constructed, maintained, and operated with the
safest impact on environmental and human health.
“Safety is the priority on the Manhattanville
Development. This project serves as a role model
for construction safety leadership across the city.
For example, the new installation of safety netting
during structural steel erection is a unique and
innovative system that is used to further protect
workers during this phase of the project.”
—Alagie Sanyang, Project Environment Health and Safety (EH&S) Director for Lend Lease
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“When I went to see the Manhattanville
construction site, what struck me was that it
was very quiet, clean, and calm. Columbia’s
Manhattanville expansion can serve as a
clean construction model for other cities
and universities.”
—Isabelle Silverman, Senior Attorney, Environmental Defense Fund
Clean Construction
In collaboration with Environmental Defense Fund, Columbia
University is utilizing best practices in environmentally sustainable
construction and design in various phases of the Manhattanville
construction. The University is committed to reducing the impact
of construction on the environment and local community. In
addition to complying with required regulations, Columbia has
adopted an approach to construction that surpasses requirements
from federal, state, and local agencies. The University is achieving
this goal through the implementation of a clean construction action
plan during construction activities.
Columbia’s clean construction program primarily addresses air
quality, noise, vibration, integrated pest management, communication, and education. As part of this cutting-edge, comprehensive
clean construction program, Columbia’s Manhattanville campus
development team is using an innovative wheel washing system
that cleans truck tires and vehicle under-chassis with high volumes
of recycled water under great pressure, removing sediment before
trucks leave the construction site and enter the surrounding
community, thus limiting dust in the air.
Abatement and Demolition
In order to begin construction of the new Manhattanville campus,
Columbia needed to abate and demolish vacant, Columbia-owned
buildings. Abatement—the removal of asbestos, lead paint, and
other volatile materials—and demolition are ongoing within the
blocks bordered by 12th Avenue, West 132nd Street, Broadway,
14 | ­­ Growing Together
and West 129th Street. So far, 42 buildings have been demolished.
Through 2013, the demolition project has achieved a recycling rate
of approximately 95 percent for construction debris.
Noise Mitigation
Columbia’s Manhattanville construction project has undertaken
numerous tactics and efforts to minimize noise from the site,
including new and quieter equipment; ambient sensitive, selfadjusting back-up alarms; equipment mufflers; cantilevered
construction fence covered in noise mitigating blankets; and
portable noise barriers. In addition, noise-intensive activities
are scheduled during times when they will be least intrusive to
the community.
campusplan.columbia.edu
Reanimated Twelfth Avenue, looking north
Jerome L. Greene Science Center, southwest façade
Specialty Construction: Slurry Wall and
Top-Down Construction
Completion of Storm Sewer and Utility Project
Below-grade or below-ground-level construction in an urban environment can be particularly difficult. The complex site conditions
particular to Manhattanville, including a high groundwater table,
the need for deep and narrow excavation, and other conditions
require very specialized equipment and skills. As such, in these
early stages of the Manhattanville campus construction, specialized
approaches and techniques are being used to build a slurry wall
around the first two blocks of the project site and utilize “top-down
construction” methodology.
A slurry wall is a reinforced concrete wall comprising interlocking
panels built underground to prevent the flow of groundwater in
areas like Manhattanville that have a high groundwater table and
might otherwise face flooding. Construction of the slurry wall
begins with excavating deep, narrow trenches along the perimeter of
the site that are filled with slurry—a mixture of soil, clay, and water.
Reinforcement cages are then lowered into the slurry-filled panels,
which are then filled with reinforcing concrete from the bottom up.
The rising level of concrete in the panel displaces the slurry (which
is pumped into a recycling facility on site). This process is repeated
until the slurry wall is complete. The project also uses a “top-down
construction” process, enabling a high-rise superstructure and its
subbasement to be built simultaneously. This facilitates concurrent
excavation for the slurry wall, foundations, central energy plant,
and steel now being erected for the Jerome L. Greene Science
Center and Lenfest Center for the Arts.
As part of the Manhattanville construction, Columbia is committed
to changes and upgrades that improve the water quality of the
Hudson River, replacing outdated, 19th-century combined
sewage and water main systems in the neighborhood. The recently
completed and separated storm sewer and wastewater sewer cut
back on flows into the local New York City wastewater treatment
plant, reducing the amount of overflow and discharge of excess
wastewater into the Hudson River, relieving the pressure on the
combined sewers during major rainstorms, and reducing street
flooding in the community. The effort will also help New York
City reach its PlaNYC goal of increasing use of its network of
waterways for recreation.
Growing Together ­­ | 15
campusplan.columbia.edu
The Next Decade
The initial phase of development of the Manhattanville in West Harlem campus, which
will take hold over the next decade, will include the construction of the Jerome L. Greene
Science Center, the Lenfest Center for the Arts, a new home for the Columbia Business
School, and an academic conference center.
Later phases will emphasize interdisciplinary scholarship, including biomedical engineering, nanotechnology, systems biology, and
urban population studies, as well as housing for graduate students
and faculty. With its open design, local amenities, and publicly
accessible green spaces, the campus will provide new, pedestrianfriendly connections to West Harlem Piers waterfront park.
A New Campus and a Rising Neighborhood
A
B
C
The Jerome L. Greene Science Center, designed by Renzo
Piano, will be home to Columbia’s Mortimer B. Zuckerman
Mind Brain Behavior Institute. In addition to state-ofthe-art research and teaching facilities, the first floor of
the Greene Center will house a clinic for local residents
concerned about neurological disorders and a brain science
education center for the community. The Lenfest Center for the Arts, also designed by Renzo
Piano, will not only provide a showcase for the creative work
of Columbia artists in film, theatre, visual arts, and writing;
it will be a venue for deepening partnerships between the
School of the Arts and Harlem’s vibrant cultural community.
The Center will be the new home of the Miriam and Ira B.
Wallach Gallery—now located inside an academic building
on the Morningside campus—for the first time allowing
street-level public access to the gallery.
Columbia Business School will move to the Henry R. Kravis
Building and the Ronald O. Perelman Center for Business
Innovation. Designed by New York architects Diller
Scofidio + Renfro in collaboration with FXFOWLE, the
buildings’ locations and open structures will facilitate the
Business School’s support for the economic development
and entrepreneurial culture of Upper Manhattan.
16 | ­­ Growing Together
Should you have questions about construction activity, call the
Columbia Facilities Services Center at 212-854-2222, 24 hours
a day, 7 days a week, or e-mail [email protected]. For more
project information or to sign up to receive our weekly construction
updates or our monthly Growing Together newsletter, visit
campusplan.columbia.edu.
D
The Academic Conference Center will be a hub for fostering
collaboration across Columbia’s campuses, with its 400-seat
auditorium and state-of-the-art seminar and meeting rooms.
E
Publicly accessible open spaces are central to Columbia’s
environmentally sustainable campus plan. Pedestrian-friendly
streets—all of which will remain open—will provide a mix
of local dining and shopping along welcoming pathways to
a revitalized Hudson River waterfront.
F
Prentis Hall, a one-time milk processing plant from
Manhattanville’s industrial era, houses Columbia’s Center
for Jazz Studies, studios for the School of the Arts, and offices
for the University’s Arts Initiative. The building at 560
Riverside Drive provides faculty and graduate student housing and will have a new lobby along a vibrant 125th Street.
G
The Studebaker Building, once the home of auto
manufacturing, received a LEED Silver award from the
U.S. Green Building Council for Columbia’s renovation
creating environmentally sustainable new spaces for
University administration.
G
C
E
C
B
A
E
F
D
Please contact the Office of Government and
Community Affairs by phone at 212-854-2871,
by e-mail at [email protected], or
on the Web at campusplan.columbia.edu.
On the Cover: 125th Street view looking
north toward Lenfest Center for the Arts